Giraffes among endangered species list; almost 25,000 creatures under threat

In what could be an alarming situation for wildlife, Giraffes and African Grey parrots are being pushed to extinction, a wildlife report reveals.

The world’s tallest mammals are coming close to being wiped out – with giraffe numbers down 40% in the last three decades. While the African Grey parrot population has been reduced by up to 99% in Ghana compared to 1991 levels and is now classed as endangered.

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Giraffes have now been classed as vulnerable to extinction on the latest global Red List of Threatened Species – with experts blaming loss of habitat to farming and development, illegal hunting for meat and trophies and war in the African countries where it lives.

Giraffe numbers have declined from around 151,702 to 163,452 animals in 1985 to 97,562 individuals in 2015, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature said.